Life is soo goood. I am emailing you all a lot earlier this week because surprise surprise, Satan is hard at work trying to stop us from going outside to teach. Monday, we have been commanded by our Mission President to stay home and indoors at all times. The temperature is one of a kind! One of a kind indeed. Minnesota is purely living up to it's name of being the Icebox of the Nation. Wikipedia or Google or whatever it was sure wasn't lying about that fact when I was researching about MN before the mission! Good to know!
Record temperature drop for Monday! Drumrooooollll, we will be reaching -33 degrees Celcius! Woooohoooo! COOL eh??
Anyhow, things are getting exciting and busy here in Dinkytown even though many are gone for the break. The weather sure isn't stopping us from teaching and from bringing people to the waters of baptism. We have a solid investigator getting baptized on January 25th！ Pray for him and pray that he will have the strength to overcome any challenges that always seem to arise before someone's baptism. He is super duper cool and funny. We met him while contacting on Campus. SG (his initials, apparently we are not to use our investigators' full name when emailing, ooops.), so SG, ASKED us straight out what HE can do to meet with us and to learn more. We didn't set up an appt with him, he did with us. From there, he has been going strong and is loving everything we teach him right now. Sometimes, Heavenly Father truly sends you those who are prepared to learn and to accept. I hope that this continues to be the case, as we continue to do the Lord's will according to his timing. SG invited us to go have hotpot at his place on Monday! Perfect match eh? Hotpot on the most freezing cold day of my life! Love it！He texted us last night to invite us to his home so that he could express his gratitude for helping him learn all this time. We are sooo blessed!
ANOTHER AMAZING NEWS OF THIS WEEK:
This past Sunday, I had a surprise visit from a family that claimed to know me and claimed to have been in my ward in Vancouver, and claimed to have been a counselor in my Primary Presidency growing up. Lo, and behold! It was true! I didn't believe it or couldn't REMEMBER it would be the better word at first. But then it all clicked and connections were made. MOM, YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS.
長青（i don't know if that's how his name is written but, hope you get the point) his sister Sherry Chan and her husband Howard Chan live here in Minnesota! They came to my YSA ward last Sunday because their ward was canceled for the cold. haha wimps...haha jk.
anyway, it was so cool to see them and to find out that they only live 20 minutes away from the Institute!
After our Sunday meeting, Brother Chan texted us and invited us to lunch on Friday. He has been a part of pioneering the Chinese work here in Minnesota and wanted to meet with us to discuss needs, resources, and future actions to take to help the work move along. It is amazing how the Lord works through his children, how he prepares people to be instruments in his hand, in bringing about his work. Sherry and Howard both served Missions in areas where they were pioneers of the Chinese work. They served in YSA wards as well, so they are well aware of many of the things that need to me done. It was so cool to hear their story, and even cooler that SHE TAUGHT ME PRIMARY! Now, of all places, we are reunited here in Minnesota, serving the Lord together.
I have been called by the Institute organizer Brother Miller, to probably start up a Chinese Institute class this coming new school year. Crazy eh? I am definitely not qualified, but you know what? I am excited to learn, to work hard, to be tested and challenged, as I learn and teach alongside these new Chinese converts. I am scared but, i know I am in good hands. I have fallen in love with reading the Book of Mormon both in English and Chinese. I have also fallen in love in learning about the Plan of Salvation.
HERE'S A CHALLENGE TO YOU ALL: STUDY THE PLAN OF SALVATION EVERY WHICH WAY IN AS MUCH DETAILS AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN THIS COMING YEAR. LEARN ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF LIFE, ABOUT THE FALL OF ADAM, AND ABOUT THE INFINITE ATONEMENT OF OUR SAVIOR. GOD'S PLAN FOR US IS FASCINATING. HEAVENLY FATHER IS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. START IN 2 NEPHI 2, AND STUDY IT IN DEPTH. AND SHARE WITH ME YOUR INSIGHTS. THEN I PROMISE THAT GOING TO THE TEMPLE FOR ENDOWMENTS WILL BE THAT MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT AND MEANINGFUL AND INSPIRATIONAL.
I hope you will all try this out, and I can't wait to hear about all your discoveries along the way!
Love you all so much!
Sister Pao
It's amazing!
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